Thru the years have purchased two bikes from a same pawn shop. I'm not a frequent patron of them but both times must have been a fluke of my timing. Absurdly, embarrassing cheap had even ask the employee why? In one area, supposedly everyone wants ATB bikes, but whoever pawned or sold a year old $1,100 road bike could have done far better on CL. The pawn shop definitely had the sellers info and bike(s) serial numbers. Doesn't mean much but rather a bit of protection on their part.

That $1,100 bike when new only cost me $175 out the door. Nutz of a deal. I have receipt, an unmolested serial number, plus the original selling bike shop decal. Didn't want to lose the deal or have the shop re-think the price so I paid and received the bike right away.

(BTW: Most bike shops I know keenly stay in the loop with their local police. RARELY do people have a record of their serial numbers so a registry of stolen bikes mostly have only a description and date reported. That's not to say but eventually stolen bikes end up in police auctions. A legit police auction purchase and buyer could pawn or resell for chump change to the shop.)


I know the feeling well of having a bike(s) stolen so I took it immediately to the original LBS to verify. Happily they verified it was sold originally by them and nothing beyond that or reported stolen.